Mis(s)placed Women? Exhibition and Community Gathering in Belgrade

Tanja Ostojić: Mis(s)placed Women? 2009-2021, Collaborative Art Project

Artist/Author: Tanja Ostojić

Curator: Dejan Vasić

Curatorial Assistance: Katarina Kostandinović and Tanja Ostojić

Venues and Dates:

Podroom Gallery, Cultural Centre of Belgrade, KCB (Trg republike 5, -1, Belgrade)

Tanja Ostojić: Mis(s)placed Women? 2009-2021, exhibition: Oct 14 – Nov 18, 2021

New Gallery of Visual Arts, NGVU (Kralja Milutina 49, Belgrade)

Tanja Ostojić: Mis(s)placed Women? 2009-2021, exhibition: Oct 15 – Nov 18, 2021

Center for Cultural Decontamination, CZKD (Birčaninova 21, Belgrade)

Mis(s)placed Women?  Performance Weekend and the International Community Gathering: Oct 16 – 17, 2021

Podroom Gallery KCB, exhibition views, Photo: Tanja Ostojic

Mis(s)placed Women? is a collaborative art project that I started in 2009, consisting of performances and performance art workshops, including contributions by over 160 individuals. Many of them are artists, mainly identifying themselves as women from diverse backgrounds. Within this project, we embody and enact some of everyday-life’s activities that thematize displacement, known to migrants, refugees, and the itinerant artists traveling the world to earn their living. Those performances deal with migration issues, power relations and vulnerability, particularly concerning the female and transgender bodies, an aspect that figured prominently in my art practice. With this project, on one side, we are investigating privilege by making a distinction between working mobility, forced or desired migration, and how arbitrary laws may apply, and on the other side, exploring diverse public spaces and the invisibility of certain groups within them. In the frame of this project, in which I apply feminist emancipatory methodologies of artistic and community practices, I conducted numerous workshops globally where the participants are selected by open call. Individual and group artworks and interventions are developed and produced in this frame. The development of collaboration within the group and forming of a community are very precious processes as well as the further communication with a wide audience that we meet on the streets, and targeted audiences in the venues where presentations, exhibitions and discussions take place.  (T. Ostojić)

Exhibition views, NGVU Belgrade. Photo: Srdjan Veljovic

Mis(s)placed Women? community members whose contributions and artworks were presented in the Mis(s)placed Women? 2009-2021 exhibition include: Teresa Albor, Nela Antonović, Helen Averley,Gaby Bila-Günther, Dagmara Bilon, Ines Borovac, Mia Bradić, Amy Bryzgel, David Caines, Nati Canto, Anaïs Clercx, Azad Colemêrg, Culture Hub Croatia, Luciana Damiani, Alix Denambride, Emma Edvige Ungaro, Li Fu, Hieu Hanh Hoang Tran, Robyn Hambrook, Kwestan Jamal Bawan, Monika Janulevičiūtė, Marija Jevtić, Lissette Nicole Josseau, Jane Kay Park, Mad Kate, Elena Marchevska, Valentina Medda, Susan Merrick, Kim McCafferty, Ashley McNaughton, Branko Milisković, Marta Nitecka Barche, Tanja Ostojić, Sigrid Pawelke, Darija Radaković, Rhea Ramjohn, Alejandra Robles Sosa, Kirsty Russell, Evdoxia Stafylaraki, Suncica Šido, Tan Tan, Cherry Truluck, Tanya Ury, Katja Vaghi, Patricia Verity, Wai Wai, Anastasio William, Hyla Willis, Jiachen Xu. 

Tanja Ostojić exhibited photos, stories, videos, sound, drawings, signs and performance scores from the very rich “MIS(S)PLACED WOMEN?” participatory art project archives in the form of a multimedia installation, including works from the collection of the MSUV, Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina in two exhibition venues, live interventions in the public spaces in Belgrade and community gathering in presence and over zoom, presented at CZKD.

At Trg Republike, Pionirski Park, park Manjez and in the CZKD, during the performance weekend, some of the most active local and international Misplaced Women? community members met, exchanged ideas and thoughts and perform together. With the participation of: Tanja Ostojić, Teresa Albor, Lidija Antonović, Nela Antonović, Dagmara Bilon, Paula Chambers, Jiachen Xu, Jelena Dinić, Hieu Hanh Hoang Tran, LADY GABY, Mad Kate, Susan Merrick, Jasmina Tešanović, Bojana Videkanić, Sunčica Šido and members of the Culture Hub Croatia platform, among others.

Links:

Exhibition Catalogue (Engl./Serb.) is available as free download at Academia.edu

Mis(s)placed Women?  Project Blog

Mis(s)placed Women?  Video Channel

KCB, Cultural Centre of Belgrade

NGVU, New Gallery of Visual Arts Belgrade

CZKD, Center for Cultural Decontamination

SeeCult video review

The exhibition and live events were supported by: Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, Secretary of the Culture City of Belgrade, Goethe-Institut Belgrad, ifa: Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, Germany, MSUV, Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina, Novi Sad and by Mis(s)placed Women? Community.

Media Partner: SeeCult, Portal za kulturu Jugoistocne Evrope

Photos:

Tanja Ostojić: Mis(s)placed Women? 2009-2021. Exhibition views, Podroom Gallery KCB. Photos: T. Ostojić

Tanja Ostojić: Mis(s)placed Women? 2009-2021. Exhibition views, NGVU Belgrade. Photos: Srdjan Veljović

Mis(s)placed Women?  Live events, Performance Weekend, International Community Gathering, Photos: Vesna Milosavljević/Katarina Konstandinović/T. Ostojić

Performance by Paula Chambers, CZKD, Belgrade, Mis(s)placed Women? Performance Weekend.

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Tanja Ostojić(born 1972 in Yugoslavia) is an interdisciplinary and performance artist from Belgrade who has lived and worked in Berlin since 2003. She is internationally recognized as a pioneer of institutional gender critique and for her work in the field of socially and politically engaged feminist art and art in public space. Her artworks have a high level of theoretical reference and have been analyzed and included in numerous books, journals and anthologies.

Misplaced Women? International Community Gathering

This is an Announcement and the Open Call for the Members of the Misplaced Women? International Community & Project Participants (2009-2021)

Dear Misplaced Women? International Community, 

Please let us know if you would like to come over to Belgrade from October 14-18, 2021 to the Misplaced Women? Community Gathering, and the related exhibitions and live events.  In case you think you could apply for funding (to cover your travel, accommodation and per diems) where you are based, please let us know, so we could provide for you an official invitation letter and related information.

We will also organise online events for the participants that are not able to attend in person. So please let us know if you are one of those and how would you like to participate. 

In case your performance-video or related text are not included in the Misplaced Women? Video channel and/or on the project blog, and if you would like them to be part of the Project Archive and future exhibitions please send your contributions soon. 

In case you would like to be part of the Misplaced Women? Mailing List please let us know.

Mia Bradić: Misplaced Women? intervention , “Misplaced Women?” Workshop by Tanja Ostojić, Split, April 2021. Photo: T. Ostojić

Misplaced Women? BELGRADE, October 14-18, 2021: 

–  Belgrade Cultural Centre, Podroom gallery “Misplaced Women?” exhibition: VIDEO ARCHIVE, from October 14 until November 18, 2021. 

–   NGVU Belgrade “Misplaced Women?” exhibition: PHOTO, PAPER and TEXTILE ARCHIVE, from October 15 until November 18, 2021. 

–  CZKD Belgrade “Misplaced Women?” Community gathering & the performance weekend including performances, interventions in the public spaces, series of talks, round tables: October 15-17, 2021 (this is a fantastic intimate theater space and a contemporary art venue where I would like you very much to participate)

Curated by: Katarina Kostandinović, Dejan Vasić and Tanja Ostojić

Please write  to: TanjaOstojicART (AT) gmail.com

Subject:  Misplaced Women? Community gathering Belgrade

Subject:  Misplaced Women? Archive

Subject:  Misplaced Women? Video Channel

Subject:  Misplaced Women? Mailing List

“Misplaced Women?” performance by Tanja Ostojić on the La Grand Escalier de la Gare du Saint Charles a Marseille, 2013. With the participation of: Jane Kay Park, Emma-Edvige Ungaro, Alix Denambride, Kim Mc Cafferty, Robyn Hambrook, Helen Averley, Patricia Verity and Tanja Ostojić, Préavis de Désordre Urbain, Marseille

Thank you very much and looking forward to our community gathering!

Tanja

Performans Solidarnosti

Evo prvistigli su i prvi prilozi za performans solidarnosti:

1. Misplaced Women?, delegirani performans Tanje Ostojić, 

Score#1: Raspakivanje lične torbe 

Performans izvodi: Lidija Antonović

Datum 11.11.2020. Vreme: 16-16:30h, u trajanju od 30 minuta

Lokacija: Na stepeništu kod Hotela Srbija, Šumice, Beograd

Fotografije: Teodora Sarić

Opis: Pored nas su prolazili nezainteresovani ljudi sa maskama. Oni koji su stali nisu komentarisali. Kada se završio performans, samo je jedna žena pitala šta sam radila, i to tek kada smo se zajedno našle u autobusu. Objasnila sam joj da sam radila performans po partituri umetnice Tanje Ostojić. Stepenište kod hotela je nekada bilo prepuno turista i bogatijih migranata dok se nije pojavila pandemija korona virusa.

Misplaced Women?, delegirani performans Tanje Ostojić, Raspakivanje lične torbe, izvela: Lidija Antonović, 11.11.2020, Hotel Srbija, Beograd. Foto: Teodora Sarić

Misplaced Women?, delegirani performans Tanje Ostojić, Raspakivanje lične torbe, izvela: Lidija Antonović, 11.11.2020, Hotel Srbija, Beograd. Foto: Teodora Sarić

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2. Misplaced Women?, delegirani performans Tanje Ostojić

Score#1: Raspakivanje lične torbe 

Perfromans izvodi: Nela Antonović

Datum 11.11.2020. Vreme: 17.30–18:15h, u trajanju od 45 minuta

Lokacija: Gandijeva ulica, na stazi prema tržnom centru, Novi Beograd

Fotografije: Lidija Antonović

Opis: Odabrala sam klupu na kojoj su, do pojave virusa, migranti često prespavali. To je bezbedno mesto u blizini tržnog centra, osvetljeno i skriveno. Izgovarala sam “missplaced woman”, kako bih više privukla pažnju i onima koji ne znaju šta to znači. Pitanja prolaznika su uglavnom bila da im protumačim šta govorim i zašto. Jedna tinejdžerka je rekla da će da istraži na internetu ko je to Tanja Ostojić. Jedna starija žena je dugo stajala i gledala. Na kraju mi je rekla da dobro dezinfikujem sve kada se vratim kući.

Misplaced Women?, delegirani performans Tanje Ostojić, Raspakivanje lične torbe, izvela: Nela Antonović, 11.11.2020, Gandijeva ulica, Novi Beograd Foto: Lidija Antonović

Misplaced Women?, delegirani performans Tanje Ostojić, Raspakivanje lične torbe, izvela: Nela Antonović, 11.11.2020, Gandijeva ulica, Novi Beograd Foto: Lidija Antonović

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Veliko hvala: Lidiji Antonović, Neli Antonović i Teodori Sarić

Molim Vas pogledajte priloge i članke koji se direktno nadovezuju na ovaj:

Partitura za izvođenje performansa, br.1: Raspakivanje lične torbe

Partitura za izvodjenje performansa, br.2: Držanje natpisa

_{Jesenja izložba Udruženja Likovnih Umetnika Srbije u Paviljonu Cvijeta Zuzorić na Kalemegdanu Beograd}

Misplaced Women? Radionica u Beogradu- Priča Nele Antonović

Missplaced Women? Performance & Migration Workshop and Performance series by Tanja Ostojić, in Info Park and the park in front of the Faculty of Economy Belgrade, October 29, 2015

Video about Misspalced Women? Workshop in Belgrade, SEEcult.org, 2015

Missplaced Women? Performance & Migration Workshop and Performance series by Tanja Ostojić, in Info Park and the park in front of the Faculty of Economy Belgrade, October 29, 2015

Inside the Info Park and the park in front of the Faculty of Economy we, the crowed of 18 people (including photographers, camera person and coordinators) have done two group performances that consisted of emptying all contents from our bags and pockets and turning each single item inside out. We were taking each item apart, including taking out batteries and cards from our mobile phones and photo-cameras, and the reverse, packing it all back afterwards. This showed to be introspective and communicative setting for us, and for people passing by including refuges and volunteers who gather on near by benches. I believe that one can understand artistic process and experience of migration and exposure “on own skin” only, so to say… In this sense and as most of participants felt during the workshop and have reported after it was an initiation of a particular kind that gave to more experienced ones a strong flash of even (forgotten / traumatic) memories from the past.

Charming Nazer, one of the asylum seekers joined us and presented to us the content of his refuge bag.

It gave me a feeling of deep gratefulness to figure out that bordeaux Robe-di-Kappa wool scarf that was since my school years part of my father’s closet has now found an important place in Nazer´s bag of basics and necessities…

From the highly valuable and extensive participants reports I would in particularly like to share the following excerpts:

1. “My motivation to apply for this workshop was because I had ample opportunities during my life to develop strong friendships with people who found ten self in very unfortunate situation, who had to leave their homes behind during the wars in former Yugoslavia. I´ve been witnessing scenes of verbal and physical violence against refuges by at the first glance ordinary people and that ones who should be in charge of order — police… Participation in the “Missplaced Women?” performance overwhelmed me with feelings of revolt and sadness. The change of perspective, produced by the artist´s intelligent manoeuvre evoked memories of the scenes I witnessed on Bar-Belgrade train a number of years ago. Policemen was checking in a brutal way a women traveling with two of her kids, while baby stuff were flaying all over the corridor. Being involved in the performance “Missplaced Women?” myself, at ones, from an observer I transformed into the victim myself. I felt naked, attacked, exposed to any passing bayer who might get an idea to approach me. I thought at ones about all possible complications in case my documents, bank cards or mobile phone would go missing. All those paper and plastic stuff that approve our communication and consumption and without which as it seems I would not be homo sapiens but rather Alien. A word that could the best describe experience I had in regard to the luggage searchings that I witnessed and the one I performed myself would be “rape”. I think this performance workshop should be an obligatory educational tool for the ones in the position of power. At the end, I stayed with more questions then answers, as our artists claims, is the role of art… “ — Jelena Dinić (Medical worker from Belgrade)

2. …After an experience of volunteering for two weeks in a refugee centre in Belgium, I was surprised by the energy and enthusiasm of some of the refugees I met here in Belgrade. The facts they shared with me in such a brief period of time I find precious. The children’s drawings in Miksalište left the strongest impression on me. They drew their experience of the trip and the struggle they are going through. 

…When I removed all of my personal things from my backpack and placed them where everybody could see them, I felt exposed and vulnerable. That came as a surprise to me. I thought the second unpacking at the next location would be easier then the first one, but it was even more difficult. At one moment, I felt very insecure, and quickly returned everything back into the backpack. I think this experience was valuable because I got a chance to see this situation from a different point of view, and to exchange thoughts and attitudes with other participants of the workshop.— Gorana Bačevac (graduate student of sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts Belgrade)

3. “During the workshop I felt compassion, solidarity and the need for more solidarity. 

…feeling of the misplaced position of ourselves and other people around us in everyday life that we all try to suppress…

…it is not that hard to imagine the misplaced position of all of us, if the world continues to act this way… 

“We all know the history, and It wasn’t that long ago…” — Bojana Radenović (Master student, theory of art and media, University of Arts, Belgrade)

15 minutes Video review about the Missplaced Women? in Belgrade

 

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Jurnalist: Vesna Milosavljević

Camera: Milan Nešić

Video-editing: Marija Aranđelović

Video Production: SEEcult.org, 2015.

Concept and workshop leader / performance artist: Tanja Ostojić

List of Workshop participants / performance artists:

Nela Antonović, art director, Mimart Theatre, Belgrade

Gorana Bačevac. student of sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Belgrade.

Tatjana Beljinac, student, School of Design, Belgrade.

Tamara Bijelić, master student of Theatrology, Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Belgrade

Jelena Dinić, medical worker, Belgrade

Irena Đukanović, student of painting, Faculty of Fine Arts Belgrade.

Milica Janković, student, School of Design, Belgrade.

Marija Jevtić, master student, Academy of Arts Novi Sad.

Nadežda Kirćanski, student of sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Belgrade.

Irena Mirković, master student, New Media, Academy of Arts, Novi Sad.

Bojana Radenović, master student, Theory and New Media, University of Arts Belgrade.

Sanja Solunac, feminist, activist and independent artist, Belgrade.

Sunčica Šido, Women Initiative and Goethe Institute, Belgrade.

Production: This workshop has been produced by Remont — independent art association Belgrade, in the frame of “From Diaspora to Diversities” international project. Production co-ordinators: Miroslav Karić and Darka Radosavljević

See as well other two directly related blog entries: 

— Nela Antonovic´s Story: https://misplacedwomen.wordpress.com/2015/11/10/nela-antonovics-story-prica-nele-antonovic/

— The workshop part 1: https://misplacedwomen.wordpress.com/2015/10/29/missplaced-women-workshop-in-miksaliste-belgrade-october-29-2015/

— Review in Serbian language: http://www.seecult.org/vest/t-ostojic-missplaced-women

Nela Antonović´s Story / Priča Nele Antonović

Priča Nele Antonović / Nela Antonović´s Story (English version is still in preparation) 

Uobičajeno refleksije i evaluaciju redionica napišem odmah, ali sam ovog puta čekala sedam dana zbog kompleksnosti projekta “Missplaced Women?” Tanje Ostojić, u kojem sam uzela učešće. Bez obzira što imam veliko iskustvo u radu sa učesnicima radionica preko 30 godina metodom Mimart, kao i raznih specifičnih metoda neformalnog obrazovanja mladih i građana koje vodim, kao učesnica radionice ovoga puta bila sam uzbuđena jer dugo pratim Tanjin umetnički aktivizam i pratim njen rad, a sa druge strane od aprila aktivno pratim prolazak migranata kroz Srbiju.

Zanimljivo je što su se na radionicu prijavile učesnice različitih godina, iskustava i zanimanja, što je bila velika vrednost. Često vodim radionice motivacije, tako da mi je bilo važno da na početku dana čujem i njihova mišljenja, zašto su došle. Spontani i inspirativan uvodni razgovor i priprema za performans „Missplaced Women?“ u prostorijama REMONTa u opuštenoj i demokratskoj atmosferi nametnuo mi je pitanja: Razumemo li mi dovoljno pojmove tolerancije, slobode, empatije, poimanja timskog rada i pojam različitosti? Negujemo li dovoljno vrednosti performansa, kao važnog izraza savremene umetnosti? Razumemo li dovoljno da performans preispituje društvo i ukazuje državi o važnim problemima društva? Performans je sredstvo društvenih promena i kao takav donosi veliki doprinos zajednici. Uvodni razgovor bio je važan za slobodu govora i mišljenja, jer nas je autorka prepustila svojim razmišljanjima i otvorila kao u psihodrami mudrim prepuštanjem nama da komentarišemo očekivanja. Zanimljiv je bio momenat približavanja haosu u demokratskom tumačenju pozivnog pisma koje smo dobile za radionicu, šta treba da donesemo, odnosno šta nedostaje migrantima. Različita pitanja nas učesnica na početku vezana za pozivno pismo, bila su odraz našeg nepoverenja u informacije, naših strahova o nametanju mišljenja, do trenutka kada smo svi zajedno krenuli u Miksalište..

Kada smo pošle u Miksalište, ne znam po koji put sam potvrdila svoju teoriju da se jedino telom može ući u fenomen, jer možemo da mislimo i da se reči umnožavaju a da se ne pokrenemo u akciju. Iako od jula meseca idem u Miksalište veoma često, donosim svoje stvari i stvari svojih prijatelja, higijenske artikle, čajeve i druge jednostavne svakodnevne potrebštine, ovoga puta kada smo otišle zajedno videla sam kese na kojima piše BORDER. To mi je mnogo značilo jer smo videle da se briga o migrantima zapravo vidi od trenutka kako uđu u zemlju, pa dok ne odu dalje… Ne želim da glorifikujem Srbiju u ljudskom odnosu prema migrantima, ali primetila sam da to oni osećaju i da jedino kod nas stoje u redu kada su u pitanju registracija izbeglica, podela hrane, podela tople odeće i obuće, čaja… Toga dana srela sam poznate volontere i ljude dobre volje iz Beograda, zatim Nedeljka iz Srebrenice koji je takođe bio izbeglica i mnoge mlade iz srednjih škola, ali i nove volontere strance koji su se potom uputili sa izbeglicama kasno popodne dalje do Hrvatske granice. Uglavnom smo naišli na migrante iz Avganistana koji su stigli preko Bugarske, i ovo su bila potpuno nova i drugačija iskustva za mene jer sam do sada upoznavala uglavnom ljude koji su došli iz Sirije, Libije i Pakistana. Naravno nemoguće je otpratiti svakog pojedinačno, niti saznati kako su se snašli, koliko i kako su dalje putovali, svejedno moram priznati da je svaka kiša izazivala kod mene nesanicu.

Iskustvo samog izvođenja performansa u parku kod autobuske stanice, koji smo počeli da zovemo Info park, i u parku kod Ekonomskog fakulteta za mene je imalo posebno značenje. Letos sam u parkove spontano dolazila, donosila voće i bonbone, držala radionice deci, pričala sa ljudima.. Stotine priča. Stotine sudbina. Mnoge sam upoznala, sa nekima se još uvek dopisujem, neke sam dovodila da se okupaju i odmore kod mene kući. Ponekom sam kupila kartu, kupovala sladolede, delila kišobrane… Sve to mi je prolazilo kroz misli dok sam vadila stvari iz tašne. Svaka stvar je izneta, i razmišljala sam o tome koliko žena je svoje tašne i torbe, sitnice potrebne i nepotrebne, negde ostavilo usput.

Setila sam se kada su migranti krenuli kroz Srbiju da je na drvetu pored koga smo stajale za vreme performansa stajao plakat/crtež koji je davao uputstva migrantima gde da putuju i kojim prevozom mogu da stignu na željena odredišta. Setila sam se događaja od pre deset godina koji mi se desio u Parizu. Dalija Aćin i ja, bile smo na jugu Francuske u Belfortu. Ona je imala povratnu avionsku kartu za Beograd jedan dan pre mene, i tada sam osetila važnost informacija koje dobiješ od prethodnih putnika. Od nje sam dobila SOS uputstvo, jer je rekla da ako u sekundi ne budem na pravom mestu neću stići do aerodroma. Ovo upozorenje i uputstvo mi je bilo dragoceno jer sam menjala 4 prevoza, išla sam bez novca i imala samo unapred kupljene karte. Ovo je ustvari priča migranata koji su ostali bez telefona, kojima sam pozajmljivala svoj telefon da samo vide gde im je rodbina, prijatelji i čitali su uputstva koja su deljena na društvenim mrežama. Nazer, mladić koji je prišao Tanji bio je srećan što opet ima neke stvari u torbi, što je jeo, ali je spomenuo da mu treba telefon. To je glavna potreba migranata, mreža informacija koja im je važna da bi znali gde mogu i kako da prođu.

Ovoga puta u parkovima je bilo malo migranata zbog promena ruta i zbog boravka u azilantskom centru u Krnjači zbog hladnoće. Toga dana oko 16h su došli u Miksalište, pojeli nešto i u 17h otišli dalje autobusima…

Razgovor koji je Tanja Ostojić vodila sa učesnicama radionice nakon performansa kroz pripremu javne prezentacije, bio je važan jer sve dileme su odjednom bile prihvatljive, sve nedoumice razumne, nakon iskustva izvođenja performansa. Iskustvo koje smo ponele je važno, a za mene je ovo bila značajna radionica do-edukacije.

— Nela Antonović, umetnički direktor / art director, Teatar Mimart

Authors of the Photos from the “Missplaced Women?” performance workshop by Tanja Ostojić that took place on October 29, 2015 in Remont, Miksalište, Info Park and in Park in front of the Faculty of Economy, Belgrade are: Lidija Antonović, Jelena Dinić, Miroslav Karić, Srdjan Veljović

 

Missplaced Women? Performance & Migration Workshop by Tanja Ostojić in Miksalište Belgrade, October 29, 2015

13 participating women and girls of diverse backgrounds and generations responded to the open call with distinguished motivations to take part in one day long performance workshop “Missplaced Women?” that took place on October 29 in Belgrade. Between them there were two 17 years old School of Design students, several art students, master students of arts and drama, couple of feminists, activists and cultural workers, one nurse and as well my colleague Nela Antonović, art director of Mimart Theatre, experienced performance artist herself.

Whether they had any experience with the performance art or with migration, or not, participants were invited to come openminded to the workshop and to bring along some bag or a purse of their own as well as some donations for refuges. Our base was Remont, independent artist association, where we gettered in order to get to know each other and to talk about the project over a cup of tee in democratic way.

We were discussing and researching and trying out something practical and performative at three different migration specific locations in public spaces in the vicinity of the city centre Bus station where still an average of 300–500 refuges daily stop by, in order to get medical help, food, warm clothes, information, and to charge their mobile phones. Some of them are offered to be transferred to free hostels to recover for up to three days, or to asylum home in Krnjača suburb. Most of the refuges are anyhow waiting there for a next 10-Euro-bus direction Croatian border, etc. Dramatic conditions on Balkan migration routes are changing daily. Since Hungarian border has been violently closed for refuges people can progress from Serbia only to Croatia. From july until early October 2015, parks in vicinity of Bus station in Belgrade were covered with tends and served as improvised temporary camps. Many volunteers were engaged there. Since mid October 2015 camping has been forbidden and refuges are, after being registered at Macedonian border mainly transferred directly to Croatian border by police busses, or are brought to Asylum centres. Volunteers and donations are spreading as well around Croatian, Macedonian and Bulgarian borders.

First we came to the storage part of Miksalište, Refugee help centre located in Mostarska 5, where we gave our modest donations and made contacts with several refugees and volunteers. They told us about their journeys and the violence they’ve experienced in some of the countries they went through. What left a big impression on workshop participants is the fact how well they handle their difficult situations and how optimistic they were. They also told us about plans for their future destinations. In the help centre there were mostly younger male refugees from Afghanistan who walked over Bulgaria to Serbia. The reason there were so few women and children there was, as we found out, that they are avoiding passing through Bulgaria in order to avoid brutality of Bulgarian police and groups of organised hooligans. Families mainly go via Macedonia from where as soon as they enter Serbia they are registered and directly transported, by free busses organised by Serbian police, on to Croatian border. We met a lot of people who had been beaten up, robbed and imprisoned for up to 20 days in Bulgaria. Their cell phones, money and passports were taken away. We also met there a 15 year old Kurdish Syrian girl who came over Bulgaria and who had to leave her parents behind in Turkey, since they didn’t had money to travel along. She suffered from severe feet injuries and exhaustion.

Inside the Miksalište there is a tend where refugee children can play and make drawings with volunteers and social workers. We took several pictures of drawings where kids expressed their impressions from the journey. On one of the drawings a refugee child depicted explicit violence against his/her family members while on the road in Bulgaria and in Iran.

 

Choice of reflections excerpts by some of the workshop participants:

1. Despite the fact that we had only one day for this workshop, I have many different feelings  about the experience that we went trough. First, when we came to Miksalište I wasn’t very confident in my approach to the migrants, because I have never been in this situation before and didn’t know what would be the right way to greet them. I wanted to approach them in a very friendly manner and I didn’t want them to get the impression that I felt sorry for them. Then I met a guy from Afghanistan and started talking with him bluntly. He was also open for conversation, with a positive attitude. He looked like he really felt safe and calm in there, and he told me so. He was glad because the people here have empathy and they do not hesitate to help if they can. He told me about his journey and bad experiences he went trough, but he still kept his hope for the future. He gave me his Facebook contact, so we are still in touch. He is now in Düsseldorf, Germany, settled down and thinking about his plans for future. I talked with two more persons and what left a big impression on me was how well they handle their difficult situations… I am aware that not all of them are as strong, but talking to these guys really made me more optimistic. We all need more compassion, we need to be open and brave to talk about issues and problems of our world.” — Irena Mirković (master student, New Media, Academy of Arts, Novi Sad)

2. “The main reason why I wanted to take part in Tanja Ostojić’s “Missplaced Women” performance workshop was to meet and support refugee women and children, as I see them as direct and biggest victims of men’s system of values, politics and wars. I must say I was at first a little sad when we ran into almost no women and children in the refugee parks, but only to later be happy about that fact, because we figured out that majority of them actually choose a better route of traveling, avoiding Bulgaria and going through safer places than people we talked to in parks.

To me the biggest impression was 18 year old Afghanistan boy who told us his story, how his journey began more than two months ago, how he was almost 3 weeks in Bulgarian prison, where the brutal officers stole all of his property, including: cell phone, money and worst of all, his passport. The boy was smiling all the way, he seemed so positive and happy, even while telling us about the family he left behind in Afghanistan in a highly dangerous background, even when he told us about how he got beaten up in the prison, and about how extremely difficult it was for him to walk so much in firstly unbearably hot, and later cold and rainy conditions. He was thoroughly smiling with a profound, beautiful smile describing us the situation as “very bad, very bad..”

I must say that boy really made me think about life deeply and once again come to conclusion that the most important thing in life is – life itself. If people who lost everything, and have no certain future, not even a certain idea of survival can stay positive and happy out of gratefulness that they still have a bare life — a reason enough to smile, believe and stay positive, where do people in general, coming from ordinary, safe conditions, find a nerve to be grumpy and dissatisfied with life?

When did so many of us forget about what is really important and that without love, respect and gratefulness there is no true happiness? I feel blessed for the opportunity of meeting different people we ran into during our performance, as well as having an opportunity to connect with all the inspiring women in the workshop and rethinking the meaning and perspectives on life. For me this was a very nice, meaningful day and I will certainly remember it very gladly.” — Tamara Bijelić (master student of Theatrology, Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Belgrade)

3.”After an exchange with refuges in the frame of the “Misplaced Women?” workshop I came to conclusion that most of the things I have around me, and most of the habits of mine I should get rid off, change, reject, or totally eliminate from my life. This workshop was surly useful for my further development and inspiring for further thinking on the subjects of border, disclaimer, rejection and gaining…” — Marija Jevtić (master student, Academy of Arts Novi Sad)

Workshop participants:

Nela Antonović, art director, Mimart Theatre, Belgrade

Gorana Bačevac. student of sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Belgrade.

Tatjana Beljinac, student, School of Design, Belgrade.

Tamara Bijelić, master student of Theatrology, Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Belgrade

Jelena Dinić, medical worker, Belgrade

Irena Đukanović, student of painting, Faculty of Fine Arts Belgrade.

Milica Janković, student, School of Design, Belgrade.

Marija Jevtić, master student, Academy of Arts Novi Sad.

Nadežda Kirćanski, student of sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Belgrade.

Irena Mirković, master student, New Media, Academy of Arts, Novi Sad.

Bojana Radenović, master student, Theory and New Media, University of Arts Belgrade.

Sanja Solunac, feminist, activist and independent artist, Belgrade.

Sunčica Šido, Women Initiative and Goethe Institute, Belgrade.

Concept and workshop leader: Tanja Ostojić

Photos: Lidija Antonović, Tamara Bijelić, Marija Jevtić, Nadežda Kirćanski, Srdjan Veljović

This workshop has been produced by Remont — independent art association Belgrade, in the frame of “From Diaspora to Diversities” international project. Production co-ordinators: Miroslav Karić and Darka Radosavljević

Refugee child depicted violence against his family members in Bulgaria and in Iran

Child depicted violence against his family member in Bulgaria and Iran